The Hidden Truth
by Sari Dark
Summary: The ABU team takes notice when the fingerprints of the long thought dead Dean Winchester are found all over the crime scene where five men were murdered. But they're not quite prepared for what is reveled. Starts immediately after 10.09: "The Things We Left Behind"
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is the first time I have ever shared a crossover, and the first time I have ever written Criminal Minds. I also tend not to write things that require multiple chapters, but when the plot bunnies come...its hard to resist!

Please note that I am marathoning Criminal Minds and have only watched to about half way through season 7, so I apologize if anyone is a little OOC. I used characters I like and am familiar with, but it probably doesn't actually fit anywhere chronologically.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the wonderful characters from Supernatural or Criminal Minds! I do however own the O.C.s.

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_**"There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins."-Ecclesiastes 7:20**_

**Chapter 1**

Garcia stares at the screen. 'This can't be possible.' The only thought that manages to come to her next is 'But he's dead. They're both dead; twice over even.'

"Garcia?"

The voice cuts through the terror that has gripped her.

"Yeah?...Yeah, yes." She stutters, trying to recover from the shock of the revelation that just flashed across her screen.

"Garcia. The finger prints? You said that they just sent you the results?" Morgan prompts her over the phone.

"Yeah, I did. It's…it's just that… It's Dean Winchester." She finally manages to spit out.

"Dean Winchester?" Derek is more than a little surprised by the result and all movement around him stops abruptly at the name. "Are you sure? I thought he was dead? They even had bodies for both him and his brother. That can't possibly be right."

Murmurs spread through the police station around him.

"They ran them through multiple times before sending us the information. It's him. I don't know how, but it's him." Garcia says over the phone.

Morgan takes a deep, steadying breath. "Okay. Garcia, send us everything on file on Dean and then try and see if you can track him down. This guy's really good at hiding his tracks when he needs to, but he tends to slip up a little when everyone thinks he's dead. And look for his brother, Sam, too. More often than not they're together. We've never really been able to profile their relationship first-hand, but we think Dean may have convinced his brother to kill for him, or at least believe the same delusion he does."

"This is so majorly messed up."

"I know baby girl, but we've gotta focus. We can't let him get away this time."

Sam nervously looks at his brother sitting in the passenger seat. Dean hasn't moved since Sam managed to get him out of that house. A blanket sits haphazardly around his shoulders as he stares at nothing. Sam glances in the rear-view mirror to check on Cas and Claire. Claire is clinging to Cas's trench coat like a life line; and much like Dean in the front seat, she is staring into space as if all the answers are right there, and if she stares long enough everything will go back to normal. Cas is holding her tight and rubbing soft circles on her back, a look of deep concern and worry on his face. Sam knows exactly how he feels. Dean just killed five people. Mark or not, the terrifying fact that _Dean_ did it hung in the air and threatened to choke him.

Sam takes a deep breath and brings his attention back to the road in front of him. He isn't quite sure where he is, but he knows he's crossed the state line into Iowa. The adrenalin that has been coursing through his veins for the last couple of hours trying to get out of state, is wearing off fast and Sam can feel the adrenalin crash coming. He checks on his brother again. Dean's quiet, and that is probable the scariest part of this whole situation. Dean is never this quiet, not even when he's trying to hide the fact he's in pain, either physically or emotionally, until he can deal with it by himself. This is different.

Sam is roused from his thoughts when the gas light comes on. Seems even the Impala is running out of energy to keep moving. He stops at the next gas station, which turns out to be a mistake; because it just so happens to be the same gas station that an overzealous police officer and his young partner have also stopped at. It would only occur to Sam later that if he had noticed the cops before stopping, or if it had actually registered that he was covered in blood from helping his brother into the car, he could have easily avoided what came next.

Almost as soon as Sam steps out of the car the older officer has his gun trained at Sam defensively and is yelling at him to get on the ground. In an almost numb haze Sam does as he is told, allowing the man to cuff his hands behind his back. It isn't until the officer's partner goes around to the passenger side and opens the door to try and get his brother out that Sam is able to think clearly.

"No! Don't touch him!" he yells at the officer.

He doesn't listen, and is about to grab Dean when Castiel steps out of the back of the car and grabs the officer's arm.

"That's not a good idea." Cas says stoically.

The officer that cuffed Sam goes for his gun again, but the angel releases the young officer when the man nods his understanding. The older officer narrows his eyes suspiciously at Castiel.

"Claire, do as the officers say." Cas commands the frightened teen in the back seat.

Castiel steps around the door so he is standing next to Dean.

"Dean." He says, trying to get the man's attention.

Dean doesn't move.

"Dean, get out of the car." Cas tries in a more commanding voice.

Dean still doesn't react.

"Dean!" Sam barks out from where he is cuffed on the ground.

Dean tilts his head ever so slightly in the direction of his brother's voice, as if listening.

"Dean, you need to get out of the car now." Sam says gently.

The officers stare in wonder as Dean slowly turns in the seat and stands up out of the car, his blanket barley hanging off his right shoulder.

"What's wrong with him?" the older officer asks Sam gruffly.

Sam just shakes his head, dismissing the question.

"It doesn't matter. Just don't touch him or make any sudden moves. He _will_ get violent if he feels threatened."

The young officer swallows wearily and takes a step away from Dean.

The older officer, knowing from the expression on Sam's face that he's not going to try to run without Dean, approaches the back seat.

"Miss., if you could step out of the car please."

Claire steps out of the car, arms wrapped tightly around her middle, tear streaked face homing in on Castiel as if he has all the answers, and she positions herself next to him.

"I know that it is your duty to keep people safe and must arrest these men, but I request that you let Claire go. She has done nothing wrong."

Claire shifts closer to Castiel.

"That may be true sir, but I need to bring you both in for questioning." The older officer explains.

Cas frowns slightly, but nods in understanding.

"Then Claire and I will follow you to the station in the Impala."

The older officer is about to protest, but stops when he sees the worried look Cas is sending in Dean's direction. He can tell that this man won't abandon Dean either, so he agrees and they all drive to the police station, Sam having managed to gently coax Dean into the back of the police car.

AN: I have no idea how often I will post chapters, but I already have over 10,500 words in Word... I will also continue to post regardless of the number of reviews/favorites/follows.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I think I finally figured out how to add another chapter… :) And WOW! I can't believe how many people are following this story! I was expecting like 2 and I got 7 in the first day! So thank you all!

I'm still not completely happy with this chapter, but if I don't post this one I can't get to the good stuff! (and for some reason I'm a little happy with the exclamation points! :p )

Chapter 2

"Hotchner." Hotch answers his cell.

"You're never going to believe this. Dean and his brother Sam were arrested early this morning at a gas station just over the state line in Iowa." Garcia says.

"What?"

"Yeah, apparently they stopped for gas and Sam got out of the car covered in blood. They didn't resist arrest and were accompanied by a girl named Claire Novak and her father James, though he claims his name is Castiel."

"They didn't resist arrest?" Hotchner asks skeptically, knowing the brothers' reputation.

"No, and the arrest report says that something seems to be wrong with Dean. It says here that he's only responding to his brother's voice and he doesn't talk, like, at all. Sam has also warned everyone not to touch Dean. He says that Dean will get violent if you do."

"Can you give me the address of the station?"

Garcia quickly finds the information for him and he writes it down. Then he hangs up and goes to the conference room the team has been using as a home-base since they arrived in town around 10:30 that morning, it now being well after noon.

"Both Sam and Dean Winchester are in custody just across the state line in Iowa. Pack things up. We can be there in about two hours." Hotch informs his team, scooping up the little amount of information they had managed to collect so far from the crime scene.

"That was fast." J.J. says.

"How'd they even know that we were looking for them?" Morgan asks.

"They didn't. They were arrested at a gas station because they were covered in blood." Hotch explains.

The team falls silent and looks at each other for a moment before they all jump into action collecting their things and move out.

When they arrive at the station they are greeted by the arresting officers, an older man by the name of Steve Coggle and his younger partner Gorge Okel.

"In your report you said that they didn't resist arrest?" Hotch asks Coggle, as he shakes his hand and gets straight to business.

"That's right. Sam looked like he was in shock or something when I cuffed him. I don't think he realized what was going on until Gorge opened the passenger door to get Dean out. That's when Castiel stepped out. He stopped Gorge from touching Dean and sort of took charge from there. His only concern was that we wouldn't hurt or arrest Claire."

"He didn't try to talk you out of arresting the Winchesters?" Rossi asks.

"Not at all. He told us that he knew we were just doing our job. He even told Claire to do what we told her to." Steve says.

"Did James tell you to call him Castiel?" Reid asks.

"Yeah, he did." Gorge responds. "He got frustrated when we called him James. He kept saying, 'I'm not Jimmy' until we listened to him."

"What is it Reid?" Hotch asks, noticing the perplexed look on the younger man's face.

"Castiel is the angel of Thursdays and travelers, though many people believe that Castiel is another name for Cassiel, the angel of solitude and tears, whom is said to preside over the deaths of kings…"

"You are very well educated; though I am surprised that you would know about me or my sister." The group of agents turns to the new man with questioning looks. "Humans often get us confused; unless they have met us, but most do not even know we exist." He continues unfazed by everyone's stares.

"My name is Castiel." He adds.

He hesitantly offers his hand as if unsure if it is the right action for these circumstances.

"Nice to meet you, Castiel." J.J. offers with a pleasant smile as she shakes his hand, the rest of the team hesitantly following suit.

"I certainly wish we could have met under more pleasant circumstances. Unfortunately, Dean is not well and I don't know how to help him." Castiel looks distressed at his own words and looks towards the back of the small station where Sam and Dean are being held.

"Castiel, would you mind explaining to me what happened? Let's sit down over here and talk." Rossi says, ushering him into a small conference room.

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a weird one?" Morgan asks when they're out of earshot.

"Because it's always a weird one." Reid replies, watching the trench-coated man as he sits at the table with Rossi.

"While he's doing that, we might as well set up what we know. There is still a chance that our un-sub is not Dean Winchester, though it is definitely suspicious that the Winchesters were at the crime scene." Morgan says.

"Do you really think they're innocent?" J.J. questions.

"Maybe of this crime, but regardless, they are both wanted for murder." Hotchner says seriously.

Sam sits leaning against the wall on the floor across from where his brother sits on the bench, still staring into space. Dean hasn't moved since they arrived at the station around 2:30 that morning and he's worried. Dean is definitely not acting like himself and he doesn't know what to do. Sam stands up, and after restlessly pacing like a caged animal for what feels like an eternity, he joins his brother on the bench. He sighs, leaning back against the wall. What were they going to do? There was no way the police would just release them; they were both wanted for multiple murders. Murders they hadn't committed of course, but they were the only ones that knew they were innocent… But now Dean was actually guilty. _His brother had killed five people._ The thought doesn't sit well with Sam and he shifts uncomfortably.

Sam looks at him. Dean's pale and has a pained expression on his face. Sam, unwilling to let his brother silently suffer in his own mind any longer, calls his brother's name and hesitantly puts his hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean's reaction to the touch is almost instantaneous. One moment they're both sitting on the bench, and the next Sam is on his back with his brother's hands wrapped around his throat. He manages a slap across Dean's face while trying to pry his brother's fingers from his throat, and easily switches their positions. He immediately lets go when an expression of horror crosses Dean's face and he brings a hand to his face where Sam hit him.

"Dean?" Sam asks cautiously, his voice ruff from being strangled.

Dean meets Sam's eyes, clearly horrified by what he just did.

"I…I…Sam?" he half whispers.

Dean's eyes start to water and he bites his lip and looks away. He doesn't move from his spot lying on the floor. Sam absentmindedly rubs at his throat.

After an uncomfortable silence Sam says softly "Dean… we need to get you cleaned up man."

Dean doesn't reply, but goes over to the small sink and starts to rinse off the blood on his hands, avoiding even looking in his brother's direction.

"Let me help you." Sam urges gently, pulling out a bandana he keeps for bandaging hunting wounds.

Dean pauses and lets Sam help him, but refuses to look at his brother even as the younger man wipes blood from his face.

"Dean, do you know where we are?" Sam asks as he rubs at a clump of dried blood in Dean's hair.

Dean looks at him annoyed, but quickly looks away again.

"Yeah Sammy, I know where we are."

Sam sighs. 'At least he's responding now.' he thinks, a little relieved and a lot worried.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: This chapter is the interview between Rossi and Castiel. :) Not sure if I can live up to people's expectations…but I'll do my best!

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Chapter 3

"So, Castiel, how well do you know the Winchesters?" Rossi asks, folding his hands together and resting his elbows on the table.

"I would like to believe I know them quite well. I have known them for close to seven years now, and Dean has even told me he thinks of me as family." Castiel replies, copying Rossi's actions and placing his elbows on the table.

"Family? Wow. That sounds like high praise."

"It is. There are few people that Dean trusts, and even fewer that he calls family." Cas says seriously.

"Makes me wonder if you will answer my questions honestly; being family means loyalty, doesn't it? How do I know you won't lie to me to protect him?" Rossi asks, trying to gage if Castiel will continue to be cooperative.

Castiel looks away for a moment before responding.

"Unfortunately my family has recently had to relearn the meaning of loyalty." Cas sighs. "You don't know that I won't lie to protect Dean, but I give you my _word_, that I will not." He states firmly, as if his word is an unbreakable vow and means a great deal.

"Did Dean kill those men in Pontiac, Illinois?" Rossi asks, cutting to the chase.

Castiel looks sad at the question, almost like a kicked puppy.

"Yes he did." He replies softly, sitting back in his chair.

"Can you tell me why?"

"That question is more difficult, and you probably won't believe me."

"Tell me anyways."

Castiel takes a moment to collect his thoughts before he begins.

"I promised Jimmy Novak I would protect his family. I haven't been doing a very good job of that and so I went looking for Claire."

"Seems you found her." Rossi says enthusiastically, giving Castiel a reassuring smile.

"Yes, but she had gotten herself mixed up with a man named Randy. He was using her to steal money to pay for his gambling debts, but I knew that he was manipulating her and asked Sam and Dean to help me get her away from him. When we arrived at the house, the debt collector was attempting to take advantage of Claire as payment for the missing funds. Everything seemed to have gone as planed until Sam, Claire, and I were in the Impala waiting for Dean. He had stayed behind to deter them from trying to follow us, but they struck him."

"So he killed them in self-defense." Rossi states, seeing if Castiel will take the easy way out or tell the whole truth.

Castiel shakes his head.

"I wish that were true, but Dean possesses the Mark of Cain. Once he started fighting he couldn't stop."

Rossi raises an eyebrow at that.

"This mark…it made him kill those people?" Rossi asks skeptically.

Castiel nods.

"Before the Mark, Dean would have left them incapacitated, not dead."

"Oh? Is it new? This…mark?" Rossi questions, sensing a deeper meaning in the man's words.

"Relatively. I'm not completely sure, but I felt its power for the first time in late November of 2013."

"For not being completely sure, that's pretty specific."

Castiel tilts his head and furrows his brow in thought.

"I guess for humans, that is pretty specific, but if I had not been distracted by the fact that I had just been tricked into thinking my brother Gabriel was still alive and then traded in a hostage exchange, I could probably tell you down to the exact millisecond of when it was."

Rossi raises his eyebrows.

"And how exactly would you know that?" Rossi asks, choosing to skim over the hostage exchange comment for the moment, but making note of it in his notebook for future reference.

Castiel shifts in his seat uncomfortably.

"This is probably the part where you will stop believing me…"

"What makes you think that?"

"You are a member of the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI. You deal with mentally ill humans on an almost daily basis. Needless to say, some of them, as Dean would say, are 'religious nut-cases'."

"I can see why that may concern you, but right now I just want to know what you know and what you think." Rossi says honestly, genuinely curious now.

Castiel sighs before resigning himself and sitting up tall in his seat and looking Rossi straight in the eye.

"I am an angel of the Lord. Part of my Father's design was to be very precise."

"An angel…" Rossi says, playing into Castiel's delusion to get more information. "How did an 'angel of the Lord' end up with the Winchesters?"

Cas scoffs to himself, knowing full-well that Rossi probably doesn't believe him.

"The full explanation of that would take some time to explain and I do not wish to leave Claire alone much longer." He says, glancing in the direction of his charge.

"Could you give me the short version?" Rossi urges.

Cas stares at him blankly for a moment. Maybe he does want to know the truth, but Cas was having a hard time believing that.

"Dean sold his soul to bring his brother back to life," He begins "Dean went to Hell to suffer his punishment, I was sent to raise him from perdition; but he was the Righteous Man and by design my superiors did not send me until they were sure that he would break the first of the sixty-six seals necessary to start the Apocalypse; Sam was used by a demon named Ruby to kill Lilith, the demon who sent Dean to Hell, who also happened to be the sixty-sixth seal and Lucifer was freed. I discovered that the angels and demons were working together to bring about Armageddon, under the impression that they could have 'paradise on earth' sooner. So, I sided with the Winchesters to save humanity. Then Sam tricked Lucifer back into his cage and after another complicated series of events Sam was brought back from Hell as well. We have been working with each other ever since." Castiel says a little sarcastically. Dean was definitely starting to rub off on him.

"You believe that everything you have just told me is true." Rossi questions, trying to take in the new information.

"Yes."

"When exactly was the Apocalypse?" Rossi asks slowly, concerned by the implications if it were true, but not fully believing.

"In broader terms, the first seal was broken close to seven years ago. It took around a year for the demons to break all of the seals. Then another of Lucifer walking free before Sam trapped him again."

Rossi takes a moment to think over all the information the supposed angel is telling him.

"So do you see Sam and Dean as heroes, then?"

Castiel tilts his head in thought. What an interesting question.

"I guess, in a sense, they could be seen as heroes…" He muses. "They have been hunting the supernatural for almost their entire lives. At first their only reason for hunting was their father's pursuit of the demon Azazel, who killed their mother, Mary. But to Dean it has always been more than that. He once said that hunting things and saving people is 'the family business.' I believe this to be true. It runs in their family. Their mother was raised as a hunter like generations before her; dating back to when the English first began to colonize what you call America. And their father's side of the family were members of the Men of Letters, collectors of supernatural knowledge and artifacts. I've been told that my Father had great interest in insuring that Sam and Dean were born and raised as hunters the way they were. I suppose you could say they were born to be heroes." He smiles to himself, realizing that it's true; they are heroes.

Rossi sits back in his chair. "That's quite a bit to take in."

"If you need more information you can read the 'Winchester Gospels'." Cas offers helpfully, standing to leave. "The prophet Chuck wrote down a great deal of their story. They are called the 'Supernatural' books and are under the pen name Carver Edlund. I believe Charlie said they have been put on the internet now." Castiel glances anxiously at the door, hearing Clair praying to him.

"The Winchester Gospels?" Rossi asks, eyebrow rising skeptically.

"Yes."

Rossi really isn't sure what to say to that. Having gotten more questions than answers, he nods and adds it to his notebook.

"Thank you for your time Castiel." Rossi says, standing up. "If we have any more questions, is there a way we can contact you? Or a place you will be staying?"

Castiel furrows his brow trying to think of the answers. "I have a cell phone, but I have never had need of giving anyone my number. I'm not sure what it is…as for a place I will be staying, Sam and Dean usually stay in a motel, but I don't have any money because Claire stole my wallet and gave it to Randy…" Cas falls quiet, listening to Clair's prayer.

"We could pay for a place for you to stay, and I'm sure I can help you get your cellphone number." Rossi offers, feeling Castiel's anxiety to get back to Clair as he once again looks at the door. "Let's take care of that and we'll get you settled? How does that sound?"

Castiel brings his full attention back to the man in front of him. "You are very kind Agent Rossi," Cas says, moving towards the door "but I am concerned about leaving Dean here." He says, voicing his other major concern.

"You don't have to worry. We will take good care of him. If there is some way we can help him, we will." Rossi reassures.

"I feel that I must caution you in upsetting him. He is…unstable at the moment." Castiel says wearily before nodding a goodbye and leaving the room in search of Claire.

* * *

AN2: Castiel made the drastic decision to tell the whole truth...what will happen next? Will this cause problems for Sam and Dean? Or will things go right for them for once?


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I am going to a new (to me) university this Fall and I have been dealing with all that fun stuff, and then on top of that I've been sick. So…been really busy. This chapter is a little bit longer though. Hope you enjoy!

7/10/15 AN: It was brought to my attention that there were some mistakes in this chapter. I have attempted to fix them. As for when I will post the next chapter...not so sure. I seem to have dug myself into a deep plot-hole. Perhaps marathoning Criminal Minds will help...

Disclaimer: None of these attractive men and women belong to me.

Chapter 4

"Four out of the five men who were killed have multiple arrests for petty crimes and have been arrested on suspicion of assault and rape, but the charges were always dropped. Mr. Randle, our fifth victim, on the other hand, was known for his gambling problems and his house was close to foreclosure." Garcia says, typing up a storm on her keyboard.

"Thanks Garcia. Let us know if you find anything else." Morgan says.

"I will. And I'll keep trying to find the Winchester's paper trial; but whoever made them disappear, knew what they were doing. There's no evidence that they even exist for over a year, then Sam hit a dog with his car in 2011 and seems to have settled down in Kermit, Texas for a year. He was even looking into going back to school, but something happened and he fell of the grid again, but no sign of Dean at all."

"Thanks again baby girl, keep us posted." Morgan says, hanging up. "I'm ganna go talk to the Winchesters. See if I can get Dean to talk." He addresses the room at large, each team member busy with their own things.

"Morgan, I wouldn't suggest that." Rossi says, stepping out of the conference room.

"Why not?" Morgan asks, drawing the whole team's attention.

Rossi pauses a moment for Castiel to go into the lounge where Claire has been pacing since the man left the room earlier, before he continues.

"If Dean's delusion is as great as Mr. Novak's and he's as unstable as he says, your presence may push him over the edge. We need someone he will feel is non-threatening. I think Dr. Reid may be our best bet to get him talking."

They look to Reid, who nods in agreement.

"I think you may be right." Reid says, standing from where he has been reading through what little of the massive Winchester file remains; explosions tend not to leave much readable materials.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea. You might want to look at this first." Hotch interjects, summoning Reid over.

Hotch has security footage of the holding cells up on the computer in front of him.

"When they first came in, Sam talked Dean into sitting on the bench, but then Dean doesn't move for several hours. It isn't until…there. That he moves." Hotch explains, fast-forwarding and then pausing right at the moment Sam touches Dean's shoulder.

He presses play and the whole team watches in horror as Dean begins to strangle his brother.

"It looks like Sam got through to him though." Morgan points out, trying to look at the bright side of the not-so-pleasant situation.

"We should consider putting them in separate holding cells. Sam's life could be in danger if we leave him with his brother." Hotch says, concerned for the younger man's safety.

"That may be safer for Sam, but it could put the rest of us in danger. Everything in Dean's file suggests a dangerous codependence. If we remove Sam, or if Dean feels we are threatening Sam in any way, he could become quite violent." Reid informs the team of his findings so far. "Have there been any more outbursts since that one, or was that the only one?" He asks, leaning closer to the monitor.

"That was the only one. Since then Sam has helped Dean wipe the dried blood off, and right now it appears that Dean is sleeping." Hotch tells Reid.

"This may be a good opportunity for me to talk to Sam alone…"

"Be careful Reid." Morgan says, placing an encouraging hand on his shoulder.

The others nod in agreement. Hotch takes a deep breath, but eventually agrees.

* * *

Sam is sitting at the foot of the bench, staring out the bars of their cell, keeping watch as Dean sleeps fitfully on the bench. He lifts his head when he hears the door open and close. A tall skinny man with brown hair in a style reminiscent of his own during his Stanford years, comes and stands in front of the cell.

"Sam, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid with the Behavior Analysis Unit of the FBI. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions." Reid asks quietly, as not to wake the older Winchester.

Sam just stares at him blankly for a moment, exhaustion clear on his face.

"So you're a shrink?" Sam asks monotone, not even shifting from his spot on the floor, or caring that he probably sounds rude.

Reid smirks. "No, not that kind of doctor. I have PhDs. in Chemistry, Engineering, and Mathematics."

Sam's eyes widen, obviously impressed.

"Oh."

"Now, Sam. What can you tell me about your brother?"

Sam's eyes narrow.

"That depends on what you want to know." He says defensively.

Dean shifts on the bench and lets out a soft moan. Reid looks at the sleeping man with concern, but Sam ignores Dean in favor of staring at Reid.

"Does he often have nightmares?" Reid asks, attempting to use the circumstances to his advantage and get Sam talking.

Sam looks over his shoulder as Dean jerks in his sleep and moans louder.

"I guess you could say that. We're kind of used to them. In our line of work it's sort of a reminder that we're human. The second we stop caring is when we become the monsters we hunt." Sam shifts uncomfortably, very aware of how that can happen.

"That sounds a lot like what we do." Reid muses.

Sam chuckles. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. The only difference is we hunt creatures that enjoy eating people and you guys hunt the crazy people that want to eat other people." Sam frowns. "I think I agree with Dean on that one. Demons and monsters I get. People are crazy."

Sam could feel the effects of sleep deprivation clouding his mind. Should he be telling this kid that?

"Why would you say people that eat other people?" Reid asks slowly, taking in the information and trying to ask questions that will encourage Sam to talk.

"Well, sometimes when we're looking for our cases, we stumble on some of yours. A few weeks after my 23rd birthday we were investigating some mysterious disappearances and I got abducted by the Bender family. They'd been abducting, hunting, and then eating people for at least three generations. It sort of became our bench-mark for crazy people." Sam explains, willing to tell the old story to this BAU agent who had no doubt read their file.

Spencer furrows his brow in confusion. "What happened to the Benders? I have an eidetic memory, I would remember a case like that."

"I'm not sure. The deputy shot and killed Pa when he tried to escape, but as far as I know the brothers and their little sister were all taken into custody after we left." Sam says matter-of-factly, too stressed and tired to care if this man is actually listening to, or believing him or not.

"You didn't stay behind to find out what happened?" Reid asks, curious.

"We couldn't. The deputy knew who we were and only let us go because we saved her life…that wasn't the first time a cop let us go, and it defiantly wasn't the last." Sam says distractedly as Dean shifts on the bench behind him and mumbles in his sleep.

"I read your file. There are multiple instances where you escaped from police custody or even from prison that seem very improbable without inside help."

Sam shrugs, not really paying attention to the agent as he watches his brother over his shoulder.

"You're not wrong…"

Sam stands up and goes to the side of the bench and hovers over his brother as he thrashes on the bench, his face contorted in pain.

"Is Cas still here?" Sam asks suddenly, coming over to the bars.

Reid takes a step back, weary of the younger Winchester's intentions.

"I believe so. He didn't want to leave without Dean." Reid says carefully, unsure of how to proceed.

"Can you get him please? Tell him Dean is having a nightmare. He'll know what to do." Sam says urgently, going back to hover over Dean as if deciding whether or not to try to wake him.

Dr. Reid only hesitates a moment before doing as asked. By the time he gets to the lounge where Castiel and Claire have been sitting quietly, an ear-piercing scream resonates from the holding cells. Castiel is on his feet and headed towards the cells before Spencer can even relay Sam's message. He chases after the trench-coated man as he seemingly glides to a stop in front of the cell the Winchester's are in. Without a second thought he yanks the door open, breaking the lock. Inside the cell Dean is thrashing violently as Sam attempts to pin him down.

"Cas!" Sam shouts over his brother's panicked and pained screams, nearly taking a fist to the face for his efforts.

Reid stares on in shock as Castiel comes forward and places two fingers on Dean's forehead, effortlessly silencing him as he goes completely limp. Sam sinks to his knees and looks like he's about to burst into tears and Castiel isn't much better, his face a mix of pain, great sadness, and perhaps a little guilt.

"What the hell was that?" Morgan intones, breaking the shocked silence.

Reid swings around in surprise, about half the people in the station have gathered to see what's wrong.

Spencer Reid is completely speechless, having no idea what just happened in front of his own two eyes. It is Castiel who answers.

"That was memories of Hell, most likely made worse by recent events." Cas says matter-of-factly, carefully training his features.

"Cas!" Sam says, surprised that the angel would just announce that to these strangers. "Are you trying to get us locked up in padded rooms?"

"These people are only doing their jobs, as you and Dean do yours. They asked me for the truth and I told them. They even listened. You shouldn't be so quick to judge them by their profession."

Sam stares at him, than shakes his head in tired defeat.

"Whatever you say Cas. Just get us out of here so we can help Dean."

Castiel frowns. "I believe these people may be able to help."

"How?" Sam snaps, "They don't even believe us! You know what happens when people start spouting stuff about angels and demons? They get locked up and put on heavy medication!" Sam says, voice rising. "And worst of all, the longer we're here and not researching, the longer Dean has the Mark! I don't know about you, but I want to get rid of that thing as soon as possible!"

Sam's shaking now, and angry tears are flowing freely down his face, but he doesn't care. All of the stress of the last twenty-four hours combined with sleep deprivation and worry spill down his cheeks and he looks to his brother's angel for guidance.

The BAU team just watches the exchange in shocked silence.

The angel sighs. "Sam, I don't know what the best course of action is, but I believe these people can help us. They may not know about the supernatural, but they understand the workings of the human mind, and I can't help with that, not really."

Castiel's features may have looked almost void of emotion to the BAU team, but Sam could see as clear as day that this was a desperate move on the angel's part.

Sam sighs in resignation. "Okay. We'll do it your way, _but_, if he gets worse? We're going home."

Castiel nods his agreement.

"Regardless of any agreements that may have been made, you're coming with us, and you can't stay here." Agent Hotchner steps forward, indicating the ruined door and the twisted metal of the frame.

Castiel looks at the indicated destruction with a sheepish look on his face.

"I apologize for the damage I have caused. It was not my intention, but this was a time sensitive matter."

* * *

AN: I would like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I hope it's living up to expectations. Please let me know if you think anyone is too OOC so I can fix it!

Love you all!

~Sari Dark


	5. Chapter 5

AN: This chapter's a little slow, but characters have to absorb a lot of information, so I think it works. Thank you to all those who reviewed last chapter; I really needed the motivation this time. Also I apologize for the wait. I just started college and it's been difficult to find time to write.

Chapter 5

The Winchesters are moved to the closest city's jail, which include bunk-beds with some semblance of a mattress, and that promise to be more comfortable than any other arrangements that could be made on such short notice, considering their criminal status. Though that doesn't seem to concern Dean in the slightest, who doesn't stir from his angel-induced slumber the entire time and has to be carried by said angel from building to car and then car to building; his worried brother hovering nearby in handcuffs.

"Is he really going to be okay?" J.J. asks Castiel as he gently lays the older Winchester on the bottom bunk bed.

"This will probably be the most restful sleep he has had in a long time. He will not wake until his body is fully rejuvenated." He pauses a moment before continuing, "There was once a time that he could not, and would not sleep without my assistance to keep the memories at bay." Castiel says as if they are talking about the weather and not a man's tortured psyche.

"That's awful. I can't imagine having to deal with that."

"He spent thirty years being tortured in Hell, and a year fighting for his life both day and night in Purgatory. I am surprised he does not have more trouble sleeping."

J.J. doesn't know how to respond to that. It is clear that Castiel believes every word that he has told her and, even without the religious aspects of the statement and the questionable timeline, it is clear that Dean has gone through some sort of serious trauma.

Several minutes later J.J.'s pulled from her thoughts when Sam and Morgan walk in, Sam freshly showered and in clean clothes, and carrying extra blankets and a change of clothes for his brother.

"Thanks for the extra blankets Agent Morgan." Sam says as he enters the cell.

"Not a problem. Frankly, if you think it will help him, I'm willing to give you as many blankets as you want." Morgan says, not quite sure why he's taking pity on the worn-out Winchester and his tortured brother.

Sam offers him a small smile of gratitude; then joins Cas keeping vigil over Dean. After a moment Sam clears his throat, subconsciously rubbing a hand over the bruising on his neck that is starting to show.

"Cas, you should probably get back to Claire." Sam says. "I can take care of Dean. Claire needs you."

Castiel meets Sam's eyes, tilts his head to the side, nods, and then exits the cell without another word.

"He seems…interesting." Morgan offers as he watches the angel leave.

"I'm sure he's already mentioned this, but he's an angel." Sam starts, "He doesn't fully understand human behavior. Not to mention he has huge chunks of his memory missing or that have been altered in an effort to control him. It's really not that surprising he acts like a mentally challenged child sometimes."

Sam stifles a yawn. He pulls the mattress from the top bunk to the floor before grabbing a couple of the blankets and draping them over his brother.

"…I'm not even going to ask." Morgan says, shaking his head and exiting the cell.

He's dealt with some really messed up people before, but this was on a different level. Surely nothing these men say is true. Angels? Demons? People messing with memories to control them? It sounds to him like they've seen a few too many movies.

"Are you planning on sleeping on the floor?" J.J. asks Sam as he sits on the mattress.

"I should keep an eye on Dean… Besides, I'm too tall to fit on the top bunk." Sam says, trying to hide the concern in his voice with humor, but failing due to exhaustion.

"I'm sure he'll be okay." J.J. offers, placing a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder.

He offers another small smile before focusing on Dean again.

'I hope I'm right.' J.J. thinks as she leaves the cell, glancing at the brothers one last time.

"Something about this case bothers me. It just doesn't feel right." Morgan says breaking the tense silence the team has been in since locking up the Winchesters.

"What do you mean?" Hotch asks, looking up from the notes Rossi had given him on his conversation with Castiel.

"I'm not sure. It's clear from everyone's testimony that Dean _**is**_ the person who killed those five people, but I feel like we're missing something here. The transcript from Baltimore… the way Dean was acting then, compared to now…I think he was innocent."

"I think I'm starting to agree with you…"

Everyone stops to look at Reid, who is still looking through some of the witness accounts.

"Everything is pointing towards their innocence… for the previous murders at least. Even the supposed bank robbery in Milwaukee seems as if only half of the story is being told. I think we need to talk to the Winchesters again. Something that Sam said leads me to believe my thoughts are accurate."

"What did Sam say?" Hotch asks, curious what could make Dr. Reid think these men could be innocent of any of their crimes.

"He mentioned that on multiple occasions officers have let them escape."

"What?" Morgan interjects. "Why would anyone let them go?"

"Sam said that they saved the officer's life." Reid explains, putting down the file he's reading.

"That would certainly make me reconsider my first impressions of a person." Morgan agrees thoughtfully.

"Maybe, but I don't think I would let them go unless I had a really good reason to." Hotch adds.

"Then we need to find out their good reasons." Morgan responds, standing, ready to go interrogate the brothers.

"We should wait till Dean is awake. Then we can see if their stories match." Rossi says, stopping Morgan before he can leave. "It's also been a long day. We can ask tomorrow after everyone gets a good night's sleep."

Sam was permitted to eat dinner in his cell that night instead of going to the cafeteria; the guards apparently having been told that if he didn't want to leave his brother, not to force him. He hadn't eaten much and he was starting to regret it now. Maybe if he had a full stomach he could actually get some sleep; but every time he feels like he's nodding off he jerks awake again. It's as if his body knows what his mind won't admit: that he's scared of Dean. Now, Sam has gotten in fist fights with Dean before that have ended in bruises and broken bones, fights far worse than this last one, but something about what happened that afternoon made this different. Dean didn't fight without a reason, heck, if he can avoid hurting people at all, he does. So for Dean's first reaction to his touch to be to attack him…

Sam sighs and lies down on the mattress again. He rubs at his face. His feet poke off the edge of the mattress, his blanket barely covering his long frame. He looks up at his brother on the bunk and watches as he sleeps soundly for the first time in God knows how long. After dinner Sam had changed Dean into a clean shirt and Dean had since shifted to his side and then to his belly where he is now, blankets askew, hair tousled, and mouth agape as he softly snores. Sam sighs again. 'I hope he'll be okay. I don't want to have to deal with these guys on my own…' Sam purposefully rolls on his side so his back is to Dean, proving to himself that he's not scared of his own brother. He pulls his blanket tight and closes his eyes, willing sleep to take him. Tomorrow's going to be a long day.

AN: I have started working on an alternate ch. 5 inspired by BranchSuper. I will publish it as its own story, so look forward to that! (Dean on a plane is hilarious) Not sure when I will be able to update again, but till then please read and review! 3


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Wow. I'm so sorry it has been this long since I last updated. I meant to update at Christmas, but we actually had big family/travel plans this year and I didn't have time. I was also so busy getting myself on the dean's list my first semester in college that I sprained my hand and could hardly write, let alone type. It sucks to be smart. :p

* * *

**_"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible."-Stuart Chase_**

**Chapter 6**

The next morning, Reid and Rossi go to talk to the Winchester brothers. When they arrive they are surprised to see Dean pacing the cell and Sam still asleep on his mattress on the floor. Dean had changed clothes at some point and his bloody clothes were half-folded and thrown on the top bunk. He stops his pacing abruptly when he spots the agents.

"Dean Winchester, it's nice to see you on your feet." Agent Rossi greets, approaching the cell, but not entering. "I'm Agent Rossi and this is Agent Reid."

Dean crosses his arms over his chest.

"Well I can say it's not nice to see you." Dean growls, clearly not pleased with the circumstances he awoke to.

"I'm a little surprised you're awake. Castiel gave us the impression you would be asleep longer." Reid says, ignoring Dean's tone.

"Cas?" Dean asks, coaxing an eyebrow.

"Yes, you were having a nightmare and Castiel did… something, that made you rest peacefully."

Dean smirks. "The two-fingered forehead poke?" he asks.

"Yes." Reid replies simply, feeling like he is missing some hidden meaning.

Dean nods.

"We were wondering if you and your brother could answer some questions." Rossi says, getting them back on subject.

"If it's about who killed those men in Pontiac, it was me. You can let my brother go; he has nothing to do with this." Dean says firmly, coming closer to the bars.

"We know that." Rossi replies, "But Sam refused to leave your side. Not to mention the myriad of other crimes both of you have been accused of."

"He refused to leave?" Dean asks surprised, looking down at his sleeping brother. "Even after I…" Dean swallows thickly, gesturing at his throat, unable to finish the question.

"We did offer to put you in separate cells, but Sam requested you stay together." Reid informs him.

Dean watches his brother sleep for a moment before turning back to the agents outside the cell.

"You said you wanted to talk to both of us right?" Dean asks, avoiding any more chick-flick-feeling moments.

"That would be useful, yes." Reid says, allowing the deflection.

Dean crouches down next to his sleeping brother.

"Yo, Sasquatch, time to get up." He says, shaking Sam's shoulder none too gently.

Sam mumbles in annoyance and tries to roll away.

"Sam, you're going to be late for school!" Dean says a little bit louder, a smirk crossing his features, but not reaching his eyes as Sam sits up, alert.

Dean chuckles.

"Dude, you haven't been in school in more than a decade and that still works."

Sam rubs his eyes blearily.

"Wha…" Sam starts in confusion. "Dean! Your awake!" he says, truly awake now.

"Gees, from the way everyone's talking you think I was in a coma or something." He says as he helps his brother to his feet. "We've got visitors." He adds, gesturing at Reid and Rossi.

"Dr. Reid." Sam says, coming over to the bars.

"Good morning Sam."

"_Doctor_ Reid?" Dean asks, eyeing Reid suspiciously.

"Not a shrink." Sam assures.

"Good. I hate shrinks." Dean mumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Is it still because of that wraith?"

"Dude, you of all people know how messed up that was. She tried to suck out your brain! Not to mention she called me, um, a 'paranoid schizophrenic with narcissistic personality disorder and religious psychosis.'"

"Dude, seriously? You memorized it?"

"Shut up."

"You were diagnosed with schizophrenia?" Reid asks, bringing the brothers back to the present.

They look out the cell bars at Reid.

"It's amazing how easy it is to be institutionalized if you want to be." Dean says, somewhat guardedly, trying to end the discussion and feeling they may have said too much.

"A friend of our dad's, Martin Creaser, had called us in to find what was killing the patients at a psychiatric hospital. He was a former hunter who couldn't take the stress of the job and had admitted himself, but you can't shake a hunter's instinct…"

Dean pulls Sam a little away from the bars so they are facing each other. "Sam! What are you doing!?" He whispers urgently.

"We're telling the truth, and don't give me that look. This wasn't my idea. It was Cas', so if you want to yell at someone, yell at him."

Dean runs a weary hand over his face and they both go back to the cell bars.

"I believe we should continue this conversation in a more comfortable setting." Rossi says, more comfortable now that Sam is awake and seeing them interact. He motions to a guard to come open the cell. Rossi leads them down the hall and Reid follows behind Sam in the back.

"What, no cuffs?" Dean asks a little surprised as they are lead to a cushy looking lounge with couches. "Well this is different…" Dean says, suspicious of his surroundings.

Dean looks to Sam, to see if he was expecting this. Sam shrugs in response.

"So what's the catch?" Dean asks Rossi, crossing his arms over his chest and refusing to enter farther into the room.

"There's no catch. We just want to talk." Rossi says, sitting down on one couch and gesturing for Sam and Dean to sit across from him.

Sam sits comfortably and Dean hesitantly joins him, sitting on the edge of the couch apprehensively.

"Where do you want to start?" Sam asks as Reid takes a seat next to Rossi.

"I get the impression that starting from the beginning would take a while. For now let's just start with…" Rossi pulls out a small notebook with notes on it. "The Mark of Cain?" He asks, watching as Dean tenses and glances towards Sam and Sam nods reassuringly.

With a controlled exhale Dean presents his right forearm, the Mark an angry red against his skin.

"Interesting…" Reid says, leaning forward to get a closer look. "It looks very similar to the Aramaic "vav", or letter "w", which can also be read as the number six."

Dean pulls his arm back and covers the Mark with his left hand as if hiding it makes it go away.

"Yeah, well, it's the real deal. I have it; and it sucks." He says uncomfortably, not at all happy with the idea of telling these feds the truth, especially about the Mark.

"Castiel said it made you kill those people." Rossi says, trying to gage Dean's reaction.

Dean looks away from the group and swallows thickly, but doesn't say anything.

"Maybe we should…move to a different question." Sam says, sitting forward and watching his brother with concern.

Rossi considers pushing for more, but nods slowly, watching Dean. "We can do that…how about you tell us about your relationship with Mr. Novak?"

Dean snorts. "He hasn't been Jimmy for, what? Six years? Being atomized by an archangel does that to a guy." He says flippantly, grasping at the offered life-line to get away from talk of the Mark as fast as possible; even if it means reveling more asylum-worthy information.

"An archangel?" Rossi asks.

"Yeah, Old Raph' wasn't too pleased that we wanted to prevent the Apocalypse so he killed Cas. Apparently God was on our side and brought Cas back to life, but let poor Jimmy rest in peace."

Sam's eyes are wide as he looks at his brother. "I didn't know that Jimmy actually died."

"Yeah, I asked Cas about it 'case I was curious. I think it's better this way, the poor bastard had it rough."

"You should have told me!"

"You should've asked Cas." Dean retorts gruffly.

The boys glare at each other in silence for a moment before Rossi clears his throat.

"Can you tell me about your relationship with Castiel, then?" He tries, coming in from a different angle.

After a moment Dean gets back on topic. "Cas was the one who 'gripped me tight and raised me from perdition'." He quotes.

"That's an interesting wording. Castiel said something very similar." Rossi says, referencing his notes.

"It was the first thing he ever said to me. 'I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition.' You tend not to forget something like that."

"Are those the exact words?" Reid asks suddenly.

"Yeah. As far as I can remember. Why?" Dean asks, surprised by the younger man's question.

"Because it is verbatim to the Supernatural books by Carver Edlund."

Sam and Dean both groan and slouch back into the couch.

"It would be so satisfying to burn every copy of those books." Dean says.

"Yeah, but because of Becky they're on the internet." Sam says annoyed.

"If I ever get my hands on her…"

"Get in line. She didn't marry you." Sam scowls.

"Becky Rosen?" Reid cuts in.

"Yeah…but how'd you…?" Sam asks.

"She's in the books. But I wasn't aware she married Sam." Reid says sounding almost intrigued.

"That happened after Chuck stopped writing. She dosed me with a love potion she got from a crossroads demon. He was going to make it permanent in exchange for her soul. At least she was smart enough to come to us for help when she figured out he was a demon."

"Yeah, and signed the divorce papers with little fuss." Dean snorts, elbowing his brother.

Sam rolls his eyes and ignores Dean.

"Anyway, if you've read the 'Supernatural' books, then you already know most of our story." Sam tells Reid. "As it says in the books, Chuck was a prophet. Everything he wrote was true."

"What do you mean _was_ a prophet?" Rossi asks, catching the use of past tense.

Dean leans forward in his seat. "As far as we know Chuck is dead. According to Cas there can only be one active prophet at a time and we met Kevin. So he must have died sometime after finishing 'Swan Song'." He explains.

"So this, Kevin, is a prophet?" Rossi asks.

Dean meets his eye for a moment, pain crossing his features before he looks away again.

"Was."

The word hangs in the air like poison. Guilt clearly heard in the single word.

Sam sighs, not wanting to start that particular argument again. Dean's never going to listen; no matter how many times Sam tells him it wasn't his fault.

"So the events in 'Skin' are the exact events that took place in St. Louis?" Reid asks, changing the subject abruptly and going back to Sam's earlier statement.

"St. Louis…that was a shape shifter, right?" Sam asks, using Reid's question as a way out of the land of guilt and chick-flick moments.

"Yes. The book says you found out about the murders through an email from one of your Stanford friends. Becky Warren's brother Zach, was accused of murdering his girlfriend Emily, and you decided to help prove his innocence."

"Oh, right. That was the first time we came on the FBI's radar." Sam says, remembering the case in question.

"Dude, how do you know all that?" Dean interrupts, staring Reid down. No normal person could know all that information in such great detail.

"I have an eidetic memory." Reid tells him, again choosing to ignore Dean's hostility.

Dean looks at him blankly.

"He remembers everything he sees." Sam informs Dean.

"Oh..." Dean says a little impressed.

"So…St. Louis." Rossi prompts, following the lead Reid had opened, and trying to get away from delusions and back to some actual facts.

"Right. St. Louis: shifter." Dean says, getting back on task. "I hate shifters. They can be freakin' anyone they want. That's what happened in St. Louis; the thing was changing into the guys that got framed and then killed the women. It just happened to look like me when I ganked it. That's why they declared me dead." He explains, giving the short version of the story. "Too bad I had to miss my own funeral…" he muses.

"I think we should have Garcia see if she can verify some of this information." Rossi says, standing to leave the room and make the call. It would be important to know how much of the details in these books were true, and how much, if any, truth there was to the Winchester's story. Were the Winchesters living their lives by following the books, or was this author using the Winchesters' delusions as inspiration for his stories?

"That sounds like a good idea, though I get the feeling that they will match up with reality." Reid says, thinking along the same line as the senior agent; that the events in the books very well could be connected to real events.

Rossi nods and leaves the room.

"You know, it's kind of refreshing to have people actually believe us for once." Dean says.

* * *

What do you think? Does Reid believe them? Or is he just playing along?

No guarantees on when the next chapter will be out. It is mostly written, but I need to decide where to go with this and the life of a college student can be quite insane.

Thank you for your patience and thank you for reading!

~Sari Dark


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